Peter S.
Yelp
606 Club is consistently rated as one of the top two jazz venues in London, and I'm certainly an enthusiastic fan, for the following reasons:
The music. Fantastic. Sure, I've heard the occasional laughably self-indulgent set here, but the vast majority of stuff has been top-drawer, lose-yourself-in-the-music performances. And let's not forget that you get 3 hours of it over the evening.
The venue. Hidden behind a locked iron gate, with only the numbers '606' giving any hint of what lies beneath, 606 has to have one of the capital's longest established (1988) speakeasy-style entrances that are all the rage now. Once you've been buzzed through and ushered down the stairs, you'll find yourself in a dimly-lit basement: straight ahead, the main music and dining room and to the right, the members bar. In contrast to Ronnie Scott's slick interior, 606 has a scruffy charm, with the musicians quite close to the tables. It's true that these tables are quite close together but that's jazz clubs for you (the Vortex in Dalston has more tightly packed tables)! And, I'd contend, many an ordinary restaurant these days. Besides, it's not something that really impedes customers in any way.
The food. That's right, I'm going to stick my head out and say that I think the food is actually pretty good. Put it this way, it's clearly better than typical pub efforts, yet not so differently priced. What's more, food is served until 10:45 on weekdays and 11:15ish on weekends. How many pubs or restaurants in London can claim that?
The prices. The £10 music charge is great value compared to the £20 minimum charges of Ronnie Scotts and Pizza Express Jazz Club. I also think the food is pretty reasonably priced too. For example, I had some sausages and mash for £12, which at the Lots Road Pub down the road costs £11.50. Alcohol is not extortionate either, and nowhere near the ridiculous £10-£15 G&T prices charged at Ronnie Scotts.
An oft-repeated criticism of 606 is the requirement to buy a main course (starting from £10) in order to order alcohol *if one is not a member*. That's a fair point. All I can suggest to would-be drinkers that they consider enjoying some dinner with their jazz, or, better, become a member of 606 (£95 first year, £60 every year thereafter) which means you can have a drink without food, as well as other benefits.
It's true too that it's relatively inaccessible to public transport, necessitating a 10-15 minute walk from the nearest station (Imperial Wharf) or tube (Fulham Broadway). This is unfortunate, but again, seemingly the lot of many an uncommercial jazz club.
For now, I'm going to rate 606 4.5 rounded down to 4 whilst I explore London's jazz scene further. But I have a strong feeling that I'll be revising it upwards soon.